A third something was just shot down over Canada

[sun rise]

And the US just "test fired" an ICBM - sending a message perhaps.

US jet shoots down ‘unidentified object’ over northern Canada, Trudeau says

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that an “unidentified object” had been shot down by a US fighter jet over Canadian airspace on his orders.

“I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,” Trudeau said on Twitter.

Later on Saturday, the White House confirmed that Trudeau and US President Joe Biden authorized the shoot-down and the Pentagon said the object was first spotted over Alaska on Friday evening.

Trudeau said that he spoke with Biden on Saturday and that Canadian forces will lead the object recovery operation.

Both Biden and Trudeau authorized the take-down of the object, a White House readout of a call between the two leaders said on Saturday. And according to the statement regarding the call, the leaders “discussed the importance of recovering the object in order to determine more details on its purpose or origin.”

The object shot down Saturday marks the third time in one week that US aircraft have shot down an object in North American airspace. Saturday’s incident follows the downing of another unidentified object on Friday over Alaska, and the shoot-down of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon on February 4 by a US F-22 fighter jet.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Related:

China Refused U.S. Call After Downing of Suspected Spy Balloon, Pentagon Says

 

[sun rise]

Related:

China Refused U.S. Call After Downing of Suspected Spy Balloon, Pentagon Says

The internet tells me we're at DEFCON 3. Pretty soon we'll be at DEFCON 2 if this keeps up.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

An intercontinental car balloon malfunction, I see. All joking aside, this is why I was ranting about wanting to you know, cool international relations over the past year. I don't like the world's authoritarians, but it is far more strategic to cool relations. This is why. But then, if I argue for this, a billion internet commenters will call you an authoritarian sympathizer. But it is NOT true. There is such a thing as being a strategist. And I don't know if that's something that people understand

 

[Debater Slayer]

An intercontinental car balloon malfunction, I see. All joking aside, this is why I was ranting about wanting to you know, cool international relations over the past year. I don't like the world's authoritarians, but it is far more strategic to cool relations. This is why. But then, if I argue for this, a billion internet commenters will call you an authoritarian sympathizer. But it is NOT true. There is such a thing as being a strategist. And I don't know if that's something that people understand

It is certainly interesting to see the Pentagon complaining about being refused a call by China after the chest-thumping theatrics from Nancy Pelosi et al. I see this as a sort of ecological balance in politics, where one big apex predator needs another apex predator to match and keep it in check, and vice versa.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Thus have i heard..

It seems China has deployed ballons worldwide.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Also someone might want to do a thread on the green lasers from space, what was that all about. I saw some headlines on that.

 

[sun rise]

Also someone might want to do a thread on the green lasers from space, what was that all about. I saw some headlines on that.

Good point - that's part of what's going on now.

 

[sun rise]

It is certainly interesting to see the Pentagon complaining about being refused a call by China after the chest-thumping theatrics from Nancy Pelosi et al. I see this as a sort of ecological balance in politics, where one big apex predator needs another apex predator to match and keep it in check, and vice versa.

During the cold war which I lived through, there was chest thumping all the time but there was also communication. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis when the world almost ended, a deal was struck where the US quietly pulled missiles out of Turkey giving the USSR something they wanted.

Before that, we had the U2 incident where an American spy plane was shot down over the USSR and again there was communication and the US admitted what it had done.

The problem now is with our interconnected world, there is no reason that any nation can or should assume that buying sensitive things from another is just a simple transaction with nothing added for espionage or war purposes.

 

[Debater Slayer]

During the cold war which I lived through, there was chest thumping all the time but there was also communication. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis when the world almost ended, a deal was struck where the US quietly pulled missiles out of Turkey giving the USSR something they wanted.

Before that, we had the U2 incident where an American spy plane was shot down over the USSR and again there was communication and the US admitted what it had done.

The problem now is with our interconnected world, there is no reason that any nation can or should assume that buying sensitive things from another is just a simple transaction with nothing added for espionage or war purposes.

Good points. I really hope nothing further comes of this. The politicians are not the ones who will bear the brunt if a war erupts; it will be average people like you and me.

 

[We Never Know]

Also someone might want to do a thread on the green lasers from space, what was that all about. I saw some headlines on that.

Hawaii Green Laser Beam Not From NASA's ICESat-2 ATLAS But China's Daqi-1's ACDL

 

[lukethethird]

As citizens I think we are supposed to act afraid and act is if we are happy that we are being protected from a big bad boogey man. Anything to sell more arms.

 

[Revoltingest]

I see this as a sort of ecological balance in politics, where one big apex predator needs another apex predator to match and keep it in check, and vice versa.

Be careful what you wish for.
"Apex predators" like China & Russia just might
find themselves in all out war with NATO &/or USA.
Have you been following what Russia is doing in
Ukraine, & has threatened in Poland now?
You see China serving a useful function to keep
USA "in check". But this ignores it's threats to
Tibet, Taiwan, & neighbors in the S China Sea.
And of course, the increased potential for small
events escalating.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Be careful what you wish for.
"Apex predators" like China & Russia just might
find themselves in all out war with NATO &/or USA.
Have you been following what Russia is doing in
Ukraine, & has threatened in Poland now?
You see China serving a useful function to keep
USA "in check". But this ignores it's threats to
Tibet, Taiwan, & neighbors in the S China Sea.
And of course, the increased potential for small
events escalating.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Hm, kinda looking at the latest articles, is there actually a 4rth possible thing in montana now, or what

 

[Revoltingest]

What's he say?

 

[Windwalker]

I've been thinking, what if these aren't from China, but are actual UFOs from another planet? Then it'll be a real world war, but between different worlds altogether. Ever think about that? Sleep well, for tomorrow we may be harvested.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Be careful what you wish for.
"Apex predators" like China & Russia just might
find themselves in all out war with NATO &/or USA.
Have you been following what Russia is doing in
Ukraine, & has threatened in Poland now?
You see China serving a useful function to keep
USA "in check". But this ignores it's threats to
Tibet, Taiwan, & neighbors in the S China Sea.
And of course, the increased potential for small
events escalating.

I'm talking about non-military methods of pressure and determent, the main one being economic influence. China has so much economic pull that a war between it and the US or NATO would utterly devastate both even if both got rid of their nukes tomorrow. The reverse is also true (that is, Western influence is enough to make China think twice about any military adventurism), which is good because China also must be kept in check.

This doesn't ignore China's threats that you listed, since the influence of a country could be destructive in certain areas and useful in others. The same goes for any other country, especially global powers.

I don't wish for any military conflict, and I hope Russia's invasion fails and ends up leading to Putin's regime being tossed aside.

 

[Wandering Monk]

What's he say?

What? You don't have six minutes to listen?

Russian munitions are low and Western intel overestimates how much Putin cares about his troops. He will throw bodies at Ukraine anyway.

Russia will probably start the offensive shortly before the anniversary of the invasion, gain some ground and start crowing about them. It is more a PR event than an offensive.

The lines will change and Ukraine may let Russians gain ground to stretch their supply lines, then attack those. Ukraine has been very successful in disrupting Russian supply lines in the past.

Be prepared for massive propaganda from BOTH sides.​

He also did a vid a few day ago about Russian threats to invade Poland.

The story about Russia wanting to invade Poland came from one of Putin's commanders in charge of Chechen troops who made it clear that it was his PERSONAL desire to invade Poland. This kind of bluster is apparently par for this guy, but he was the perfect person to deliver this message in order to demoralize Ukraine.

To advance into Poland they have to finish in Ukraine first. Advancing into Poland would then insure that they lost Ukraine to say nothing of starting a war with NATO. Russia doesn't have the resources to protect their rear areas in Ukraine and conduct an offensive in Poland at the same time.

Russia still hasn't done the hard part in Ukraine. They are still in the invasion phase a year on. If the Russians have been unable to defeat Ukraine, how do they expect to defeat NATO?​

From my own perspective, Russia has committed so much to Ukraine that they have to be weak everywhere else. I don't think NATO would have much trouble penetrating the Russian border and circling behind Russian forces in Ukraine and Poland. I also suspect the Finland would join the party. They are a force to be reckoned with on their own.

 

[Wandering Monk]

I'm talking about non-military methods of pressure and determent, the main one being economic influence. China has so much economic pull that a war between it and the US or NATO would utterly devastate both even if both got rid of their nukes tomorrow. The reverse is also true (that is, Western influence is enough to make China think twice about any military adventurism), which is good because China also must be kept in check.

This doesn't ignore China's threats that you listed, since the influence of a country could be destructive in certain areas and useful in others. The same goes for any other country, especially global powers.

I don't wish for any military conflict, and I hope Russia's invasion fails and ends up leading to Putin's regime being tossed aside.

China also owns trillions of dollars in US debt (bonds.)

Think about this: If I owe you $100,000, I am in trouble. If I owe you a trillion dollars YOU are in trouble.

If China started dumping US bonds, everyone would start dumping them and the price would crash and China would lose on their investment. They can't dump them fast enough to avoid this, so they would have to sell them over a long period of time IF they can find buyers.